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Atalie d'Orien
Appearance Atalie wears her dark brown hair cropped very short at the sides and back, with a streak of stark white breaking up the front. It is a rare occasion that she might style it beyond this, that consisting entirely of running a comb through and pushing it off of her forehead some. Her skin is well tanned from time in the sun, seeming originally mildly pale. Her passive expression is an intent one, with a squared jaw and angled cheekbones--if not for her seemingly always tired swampy green eyes. Her right cheek is traced by a slightly gnarled, high risen scar running back as far as her ear. The lobe of her right ear was seemingly lost to this injury as well. Another scar of a similar sort runs up the right side of her forehead, disappearing into her hairline. Three claw marks run fron her other eye down her cheek and jaw. Her dragonmark has migrates to the side of her neck, the tip tucked behind her mangled ear.. When armored, she wears a flexible cuirass of brigandine with thick skirts, the outer layer one of dark black-grey linen. The armor’s rivets are polished and latten, arranged in threes. Beneath this is a thin chain shirt, the sleeves exposed and reaching halfway down her upper arm. Under both layers, she wears a horizontally quilted, thinly padded aketon of a dull blue. Latten greaves disappear into her linen faulds, strapped over black hosen and chausses matching her aketon, and vambraces of the same design encase her hands and arms to just past the elbow. Over her brigandine, a chain coif matching the steely tone of her hauberk is worn loose, with a black-lined bottom ventail. An tick steel buckler with a deep boss is strung on a thin loop of rope over her shoulder, Giant runes circling its rim. Clasped about her waist are two belts--one for smaller equipment and a light crossbow hung by its stock from the back, and the other to carry her Giant-runed blade--a long, sturdy sidesword with a swirling swept hilt and a coin pommel embedded with a neatly cut ruby. The gem occasionally ripples with loose patterns of bright pink and cyan. History Atalie, born to a marked Orien mother and an unmarked Aundarian father--a small time mercenary who steered clear of the war--was raised in Passage with an early focus on the skills she would require to excel among a sea of other Orien members dragonmarked and otherwise. It is well known to anyone who looks into the gossip that her mother, Elene, was quite unhealthily determined that her daughter would surpass the prominence she managed to scrounge up for herself. Elene’s mark never grew into anything significant, stagnating any rise through the ranks once she reached the end of what her skill and dedication could bring her. Atalie started off carrying simple packages between nearby settlements. Unimportant work, for the most part. Gradually, and more notably as her mark manifested, she was given increasingly more weighty tasks to take on and eventually given lead of a small armed detail to facilitate some of House Orien’s trade over land. While most of the deliveries entrusted to the rising Courier were contained within Aundair, a foray into Northern Breland or Western Thrane was not unheard of, and even the rare on-land journey to Cyre in the later months of the Last War. During this time, Atalie’s father, Adrian Chastain, lost his life to a small pack of ghouls at the edge of the Gloaming. His partner did not manage to retrieve the body. Atalie’s social relations with other House members sank, her attitude not making her any new friends or allies, nor maintaining those she’d already had. More than a few bridges were burned when all was said and done. When the war came to an end and Couriers began traveling in smaller numbers, Atalie’s routes were quickly assigned to others. Having been relegated to the smaller Aundairian routes she’d already worked her way through previously, Atalie soon made arrangements to find work of a more mercenary persuasion. She is able be called upon by House Orien in emergencies, but otherwise, her Couriers Guild duties have been set aside. Elene d'Orien has caused a stir once or twice trying to challenge her daughter’s recent assignments and push for something that doesn’t “waste her talents.” Most people have begun to just ignore the woman, Atalie included. Last War Atalie was most entirely not involved in the war itself. She did make a few trips into Cyre near the end, for House business only. She only narrowly missed the Mourning, having crossed the border out of Cyre only a week before. Invitation While not an official member of the Foundation, family friend Didier Autry prodded at his Wayfinder acquaintances for some time, having accrued some favor with the organization in previous work with and without Adrian. The process spanned a year before Atalie was accepted into the Foundation. He had been considerate enough to put her on the path to working out of the Sharn office rather than the far closer to home Fairhaven headquarters. Experience While Atalie's experience in adventuring is little and unremarkable, what convinced the Foundation of her worth is her professional history. She worked within the Couriers Guild of House Orien for nearly a decade, performing remarkably well and earning herself a place at the head of an armed caravan detail running routes around Aundair and into neighboring nations. Motivation Atalie's reasons for taking up the mantle of explorer and adventurer are many. It is a life away from the expectations of home, a life her father and Didier once sought. She admits only to herself that she may be driven too easily by this sentimentality. It offers a chance to learn, grow, and acquire contacts for the years ahead, and perhaps most importantly to her, a chance to see the world and travel its roads without limiting herself to the routes of one Guild chapter. Above all, though, it offers her a chance to prepare herself. Though the Courier is well experienced with harsh field work and keeping her team alive in tense situations, her ultimate goal is something beyond that. Something she believes she will need this experience for. Future Goals Quiet and reserved though she is on the matter, Atalie has a certain love for land travel, with or without a destination. She wishes simply to see as much of Khorvaire's roads as she can in her time. All the talk of naval and air ships among the Wayfinders she's met has piqued Atalie's curiosity. She quietly hopes for an expedition that might take her onto one. Atalie's ultimate goal is a more straightforward one, and one she has had in mind for a few years--to find her father, in whatever state he may be, and through whatever means necessary, retrieve his body. Through the false encounter in Thelanis, she has begun to see--and worry--that she will not be able to do this alone. Allies Aesuné(?) Asche "Giselle" d'Deneith, Rime "Elsa" Glace Enemies Nobody in Passage so strictly would call themselves an enemy of Atalie's. She has, however, made some greivous social errors and ended relationships of all sorts poorly. A scorned friend or acquaintance may hold a small grudge. Drag(?) Bhamru(?) Secrets During a brief period after her father's death, Atalie attempted to look into the workings of The Gloaming's foul magic, and thus the nature of Mabar itself. Only what reading she could acquire without a stir. Though she turned away from this line of research for a couple years, recently she has begun looking into it again to some degree. Atalie wields magic granted by a Pact with the Archfey Aesuné, made at the end of her assignment in the Harrowcrowns. A large part of this deal was the handing off of Atalie's Fey familiar, Jasper, to Aesuné. She has not explained her newfound abilities to any who have not asked, and has withheld it from non-Wayfinders and those she isn't ready to trust. The same assignment resulted in a meeting with a being created to look and speak like her late father, shriveled and dried out, wrapped in bandages. Undead. The events of this meeting were kept out of the report, and only Merith, Regis, Ekt, and Tamiyah truly know what happened, though she has spoken to Ryder of it. Atalie has entered into a relationship with Cinnabar d'Phiarlan, and while the two are somewhat open with their fellow Wayfinders, it is still a matter that Atalie would not like to see made public. They don't actively hide or avoid more notable venues for dates, but Atalie tends to wear dark colors to keep her Mark of Passage from showing through to the casual eye. Atalie, along with Leo, Cicero and Jawbreaker, worked with Asche d'Deneith (now Giselle) to free Rime Glace (now Elsa), a convicted war criminal the two claimed to be innocent from a prison in the Mrors. They left two witnesses in the form of Vari Kangur and Elizabeth the Brelish Minotaur. Important NPCs Elene d'Orien Atalie’s mother works closely with the Seneschal of the Couriers Guild, as one of many who organize routes and supplies for caravans and individual couriers. She bears a Least Mark of Passage on her face, curled from the corner of her mouth down beneath her chin. Having worked hard to gain what footing she has within the House, Elene was not born to a particularly prestigious bloodline This along with her underwhelming dragonmark (and somewhat grating interactions with her peers) have stalled her goals to take up the position of Seneschal, as there are many more suitable candidates in waiting. While not one to allow public opinion to halt something truly important, Elene is a woman who places much stock in appearances. She often behaves as one somewhat above her station, emulating her hopes for the future. Despite the excessive pressure she has put on Atalie to succeed within the House, her greatest concern is her daughter’s safety and well-being--something which conflicts with the high risk work of the Foundation. Didiere Autry Former work partner to Adrian Chastain and close family friend, Didiere is the man who managed to get Atalie an invitation to the Foundation. He is a skilled scout and--in dire times--spy, and still makes a good living off of these skills despite the loss of his more martial companion. Aundair born, his accent is slightly washed out by recent years away in Q’barra, where he has a good foothold in the business of exploration. He keeps in close touch with Elene and Atalie both, and has always encouraged the younger d’Orien to find her own way in the world. Sanna d'Orien Previously assigned to Atalie’s team in the Couriers Guild, Sanna is of a more prominent family within House Orien. She and Atalie maintained a long and unstable relationship for most of their time with the Guild, strong personalities and work making for some unhealthy situations between the two. This officially ended at Sanna’s behest in the year following the Day of Mourning, spurred on by Atalie's foul reaction to the event and her father's death in such quick succession. Sanna is driven and determined, and some would describe her as ambitious. In the wake of Guild restructuring after the signing of the Treaty, she received a position at the head of a three-man caravan team--and many of the routes Atalie had previously run. She is currently the main source of income for her family, with an ailing mother, no father to be found, and two much younger siblings. The two have tentatively gotten back into contact. Personality Personality Traits * Atalie is a very quiet, controlled person. If she sees no need to speak, she usually will not, often to the point of silencing her opinions and curiosities. * Atalie strives to be straightforward and simple with people, worrying that she might make a fool of herself otherwise. * Atalie has an inherent distaste for dogmatism, and those who measure others by its standards. Ideals * Hard Work. Atalie does not shy away from a difficult task, and believes strongly that simple work is good for one's character and peace of mind. * Honesty. Atalie prefers to be honest and forward when matters are serious, and will readily share her secrets if she believes they are relevant or necessary. * Preservation. Atalie places the safety and security of her friends, family and comrades above her own, often placing herself in the line of fire to prevent harm to them. Bonds * Atalie's ideals and world view are heavily influenced by those of her late father, a man whose honor she would defend fiercely. * Atalie feels a kinship with wanderers, explorers, and travelers of all sorts. A romantic view of the road and its comforts and hardships that she rarely speaks of. * Atalie sees in her old friend Ryder a better time and a better version of herself, and strives to return to some semblance of the way things once were. Strengths * Atalie is an experienced field leader, able to make quick calls and work under pressure to ensure her team's safety. * Atalie maintains a solid focus on the task at hand, pressing on through doubt and adversity. * Atalie thinks through situations with logic over emotion, making for good tactical decisions and an efficient approach to problems. Flaws * Atalie often oversteps in her decision making on missions and behaves childishly toward those she considers unprofessional. * Atalie's stubborn drive often leads her to self destructive actions, ignoring her wounds and bottling up her fears. * Atalie's solution when presented with a problem is often detached from her personal wants and needs, at times leading to regret and confusion at her own choices. * Atalie has a difficult time understanding the views and needs of others, taking a detached and practical approach to many things and often causing offense or confusion. * Atalie is an alcoholic, irritable often when denied or lectured for her habits. Completed Missions Something Wicked Atalie’s first assignment upon joining the Wayfinders too her to Sentinel Tower in Karrnath. Visiting dignitaries from Droaam--a coven of hags--were suspected of having kidnapped a young Deneith scion. Their client; some form of sentient undead. Atalie managed to remain professional when working with the woman. The Nightwood, where their strongest lead directed them, left Atalie uneasy and at times fearful. The moons disappeared from the sky, animals were ravaged by claws and necrosis. Things that she had come to the Foundation to ignore. The Wayfinders’ paths crossed with a being which faded in and out of sight, melding with and forming from the surrounding shadows. A massive humanoid shape, taller than the treeline itself with claws longer than a human’s body. This was followed soon by the raised corpse of a hunter who had been sacrificed for a perhaps failed ritual by the hag Skadi Huld. The party was set upon by the zombie and other beasts, and Atalie laid her attention on the large spiders, keeping a distance from the undead creature as much as possible. When the mission was completed, Atalie left for home, to return to Sharn after some time with family to think. Fractals of the Feyspire Atalie readily signed on to her second mission. Another missing heir, another planetouched forest--but this time, a friend of Atalie’s hoping for his safe return. The party quickly found themselves wrapped up in a tangled mass of stories, and a narrative made to guide their actions. Atalie took to this poorly, inclined to brute force her way through the trials presented, but conceded to Ekt’s word as elected leader. Finding themselves in Thelanis itself, the Wayfinders encountered a creature made to imitate Atalie's father, dead and withered but sentient enough to converse. When asked if she had looked for him, Atalie answered that she intended to do so upon her return from the expedition. The ensuing battle with her 'father' reminded her just how unprepared she was to take on such a task. When faced with the Feyspire's ruler. the party took to bargaining for their quarry and safe passage from the realm. Ultimately, the Archfey Aesuné struck a deal with Atalie--for her Familiar, Jasper, and the piece of her tethered to him. Upon her return to Sharn, Atalie discovered magic that she had never studied now at her command, drawing from the place where her connection to Jasper had once been. The deal carried more weight than she had thought, it seemed. Deep Roads Upon hearing of a team of three--including her cousin--heading for the ruins of the old Dwarven Empire, Atalie signed on late and incurred a debt with House Orien to teleport to the Mrors ahead of the team’s rail. Traversing the buried Dwarven roads, Atalie unknowingly used a strange ability seemingly tied to her Fey magic to hold back encroaching enemies. The Wayfinders later discovered a discoloration in her eye that seemed linked to this ability. As they traveled, it evolved to an unpleasant wriggling, and further to a strange effect on her vision--leaving her right eye blind to all color. She received an ominous message from a colony of mycanoids, warning her not to ‘fall for its lies,’ though the identity of ‘it’ is unknown. When a small village of Dwarves living among a city’s ruins came under Daelkyr attack, the Wayfinders made their best effort to evacuate civilians and flee from the area (during which, at some point, Atalie's Mark of Passage evolved slightly), doing so by way of an object which seemed to amplify the Oriens’ dragonmarks to teleport the group away. Atalie lost patches of her memory to the device, and stayed in Passage for a time to readjust. The Trollfather Atalie, along with Cade Brushgather, Shaylee d’Lyrandar, and Tara Bell d’Sivis, was called upon for an impromptu mission for an apparent associate to the Daask--to retrieve the Troll Drag’s kidnapped daughter and avoid as much collateral damage as possible from the whole volatile endeavor. Though reluctant, she was quick to get to work in the hopes of keeping the ‘peace’ in Sharn. Throughout the job, Atalie’s primary focus was the safety and security of her far more diplomatic teammates. Tension between her and Cade was small but ever-present throughout the long day, stemming from ideological disagreements and more petty matters. When it boiled over, the result was Atalie angrily sending Cade off alone to report to Drag, which ended in the Halfling losing an arm to the Troll. The Orien has taken the blame upon herself, despite her frustrations with Cade’s own actions. The mission itself was a technical success, but Atalie has readily dismissed it as a failure--her own objective impeded by a childish outburst. A Cold Spell Atalie, Jawbreaker, Leonardo ir’Brenith, and Cicero d’Kundarak undertook a mission to a frozen-over prison in what was meant to be the bowl of a volcano, in search of a war criminal who was to supposedly be transferred elsewhere during the prison’s current crisis. Their client, Asche d’Deneith, earned the suspicion of the party, and Atalie butted heads with Jawbreaker who demanded more information, defending the client’s right to privacy and condemning the Juggernaut’s lack of regard for his duties. It was uncovered that the prisoner in question, the seemingly framed Risian mage Rime Glace, had been used by the Rakshasa Bhamru to influence the prison’s formerly Fernian manifest zone. The Wayfinders took her and Asche’s word and helped the couple escape Kundarak scrutiny. Atalie was hesitant to turn so quickly on the law, but she willed herself to trust Asche who she thought to be a reasonable person, and her own team’s opinions. During their time in the prison, the Wayfinders met and supervised a prisoner with ties to the Emerald Claw, Vari Kangur. Atalie avoided the necromancer as well as she could, and shut down his offer to assist their efforts by raising the dead. She has an interest in any news of him that might come her way, and some small part of her hopes that he might be transferred to a facility with visiting. Belly of the Beast The Wayfinders, Atalie along with Natalie, Tamiyah and Amber, were selected for a mission in the woods of Xen'drik, tasked to recover the remains of adventurers seeking a storied city, and plunder what they could find while there. At Wencove's urging, Atalie penned a letter to Passage and stopped by a few Wayfinder homes to say her farewells. She performed a small ritual to the Traveler with Kiln. After a calm and fulfilling first voyage on the sea, in which Atalie lent a hand on the deck and obliviously caught the eye of the bosun, Annabelle, the team stopped in Stormreach for brief prayers and tribute, and set out on their mission. An encounter with the Obsidian City's Sulatar took the form of an ambush mid-rest. Atalie came out of the fight with burns across her back and legs, sentient blood on her hands, and an ally dead. The Wayfinders broke course without a second thought, backtracking in the hopes of finding a Jorasco altar in Stormreach, but the land worked against them Xan'shun, a Drow the team met with very little time before Natalie would be unrecoverable, claimed to be able to return the Changeling to life--but only in a new body. He assured them he had already been "compensated," implicating Atalie's patron Aesuné in the deal. Low on options, the Wayfinders accepted, and Natalie in her new form insisted on continuing the mission. Pressing on to their destination, the team dealt with a bound Efreet by freeing it from the magic of long-dead Giants, and began to search the city for bodies. Atalie and Tamiyah, worn out by the stresses of the deadly mission, argued over how long to remain with signs of dangerous creatures still prowling the city. Ultimately, with the intervention of the mysterious Ashib, the team spared another day to search before leaving with most of their charges. Hooks Courier’s Guild: Atalie is a former member of the Courier’s Guild, having resigned after ten years of work--on mildly bad terms with some fellow Couriers and general House members. She regardless has a very good professional reputation, though tarnished by her poor social one. House Relations: Atalie is not very close at all with her various cousins in the House. She has a hard time considering the majority family, and her bond with others of her profession comes solely from their shared experiences rather than a name or mark. She does odd in-city jobs for the Sharn enclave. The Day of Mourning: Atalie had recently crossed the border into Thrane when the Mourning stuck a week behind her. On her Courier detail’s way home, they were quickly caught up to by those fleeing Cyre. On a couple nights, Atalie and her fellows shared a fire and food with refugees, hearing stories of the tragedy. They split off at the Aundairian border, where the Couriers were allowed to pass freely. Mabar: Since her father’s death, Atalie has taken an interest in the workings of Mabar and, in particular, the Gloaming. This research has only strengthened her extreme distaste for undeath and such forces. The Burning Ring: Atalie spends the occasional night in the Burning Ring, to watch more often than fight. She’s grown somewhat used to the crowd, and has a good line on the Ring’s movements so she rarely loses it in the shuffle. Though she has never given her name, she has used her dragonmark in her fights. While she hasn’t proven the most impressive overall, she’s earned some reputation among the Ring’s patrons as a ‘scrappy human.’ Prowling Menthis: Atalie has significant interest in the performing arts from an observer’s perspective, and often finds herself spending the evening in one venue or another in the lower and middle levels of Menthis. She has taken a particular liking to the Diamond Theater, and the effort its playwright clearly puts into her works. Frequent Sightings: Frustrating her to no end, Atalie has run across many butterflies of familiar, bright colors since her time in Thelanis. Though they seem to behave as any other insect, she worries they may have a purpose beyond pestering her when she is alone. Debts Incurred: In order to catch up with the expedition into Khyber, Atalie incurred a significant debt with House Orien--she utilized teleportation to arrive where the team’s lightning rail would drop off, and has yet to be called in to repay it. Impaired Memory: Atalie’s memory was damaged in the use of a very powerful focus item to extract her team from the depths of Khyber. She remembers little about her cousin, Ryder, though she is gradually breaking through the haze around their lives together. In addition, many things--names, faces, sensations, and events alike--lie beyond her grasp, seemingly at random. A check-in with Jorasco revealed that some of her memories may have been altered rather than simply erased. Fey Leverage: '''In addition to the deal which initially bound them together, Atalie has been steadily incurring debts to Aesuné, much to the Archfey's apparent satisfaction. She called on the Fey for information relating to The Librarian's influence on Cinnabar, and allowed her to compensate a Druid to reincarnate a fallen teammate, Natalie ir'Tinak. '''Spell Shock: Atalie was shaken by the battle with the Sulatar, and still suffers the traumatic effects of the brief but impactful event. - Sudden or intense exposure to fire, explosions, or sensory heavily associated with fire is a significant trigger. Self-imposed DC10+ Wisdom saves on exposure, failed saves affect her immediate Action or Reaction if permitted. All results will impact RP. - Unpleasant memories or sensations may cause soreness or pain in the area of her burn scars. Pure fluff. - Heightened anxiety and paranoia, especially in unfamiliar territory. Tense or risky situations seem more dangerous and cause noteworthy stress. Healing visions: Atalie's healing abilities seem to go hand in hand with strange dreamlike visions for the recipient depicting an altered version of themselves going about various tasks. Atalie cannot see them, nor has she been affected this way when healing herself so far. She is uncertain of what these sequences mean, or whether they truly reflect the recipient's actions and experiences. Feedback varies. '''Healing log: '''https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R-LpbxkSjYa99DvXxza2ykcGgMzV1NdkQAmHxpoqOeE/edit?usp=sharing Crunch XP & Gold Log Inventory * Explorer's Pack * Burglar's Pack * Fine Clothes * Traveler's Clothes * Orien Signet Ring * Identification Papers * Splint Armor * Crossbow, Light * Skold Rune Buckler Shield * Byeshk Ild Rune Sidesword (Ruby of the War Mage) stats * Grappling Hook * Playing Card Set * Aesuné's key * 9 oil flasks * Bracelet of Planar Detection * Mror Army Tool * Hunting knife Dagger * Shard of Comfort * Wand Focus Character Sheet * https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fK7UAzCnQjZcE0Ov5rVKMZMjIehFRMJa/view?usp=sharing Picture Gallery Adrian_Chastain.png|Adrian Chastain, Father (Deceased) Didier_Autry.png|Didier Autry, Pseudo-Sponsor Elene_d'Orien.png|Elene d'Orien, Mother (Without Dragonmark) Sanna_d'Orien.jpg|Sanna d'Orien, Ex Category:Characters